Judeo‐Christian theology and the environment: moving beyond scepticism to new sources for environmental education in the United States

Abstract

In the USA, many environmental educators have paid little attention to Western Christian and Jewish ecotheology, in spite of its being a potentially rich resource for environmental education. In part, this neglect can be attributed to popular misconceptions about the influence of religious beliefs on environmental values. This essay reviews the results of relevant empirical studies within the environmental sociology literature since 1977 to clarify common misconceptions. Conclusions from these empirical studies and other sources may make it easier for environmentalists to reconsider the resources of ecotheology. Reconsidering ecotheology is also practical in that it provides environmental education a means of better connecting with the primary values of many citizens, offers new partnership possibilities for building environmental education infrastructure, and broadens the pluralistic base for environmental ethics. Several basic tenets of ecotheology offer starting points for educators by providing common ground between theology and environmental education.

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